Rickets
/ˈrɪkɪts/noun
A childhood disease caused by vitamin D deficiency that leads to soft, weakened bones.
Did you know?The word was once used in early modern English as a name for the disease itself, and its exact origin is uncertain, though some scholars connect it to a West Country dialect word meaning a hump or crookedness.
Etymological Timeline
17th Century
English
rickets
“A disease of children causing soft, deformed bones and bowed limbs.”
17th Century
English
rickets / rickett
“A dialectal or regional medical term of uncertain origin, probably linked to notions of crookedness or bending.”
Uncertain
Unknown
?
“No securely established older source has been proven; the etymology remains disputed.”
Modern English
English
rickets
“A disease caused by vitamin D deficiency, now medically understood and preventable.”